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Bond set in animal cruelty case

Bond was set at $50,000 for Amanda Heather MeClure following 12 counts of animal cruelty presented directly to the Grand Jury.

Eleven horses and one donkey were found at 526 Peters Road malnourished and dehydrated in November 2015 by members of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department after a phone tip reporting inadequate conditions for the animals.

According to reports, the horses and the donkey only had access to straw and sage grass feed that was wet and moldy. “The animals had no grass to eat and had resorted to eating dead leaves off the ground,” Sheriff Dwayne Kilpatrick said. Three animals were found dead on the property, Horse Plus Humane Society’s Tawnee Preisner reported.

The surviving animals were confiscated and have been receiving care in foster care under the direction of Horse Plus Humane Society.

“They are doing really well,” Preisner said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “They look amazing.” The horses and donkey are in a foster situation in Lewis County where a nutritious diet was all they needed to bounce back, she explained.

This donkey named Ivy could barely stand, left, when confiscated by Lewis County Sheriff Dwayne Kilpatrick’s deputies last December. At the time of the seizure, the 11.2 hands tall donkey weighed 277 pounds.

stated. “We have never had a case that bad that lived,” she continued. “She didn’t drink water on her own for a week.” Rescuers fed the donkey water through syringes and she was given fluids via IV. For a month the donkey required support from a sling to avoid collapsing.

When the animal was seized, it weighed 277 pounds. By May 19, 2016, the donkey had gained 221 pounds to weigh 498 pounds. Stories of the horses along with photos may be seen through a link here.

McClure is scheduled to appear in court at Lewis County Court House on June 8, 2016.